India emerged as the champions of Asia Cup 2018 by defeating Bangladesh in the thrilling final. The tournament enthralled the fans to the bits with all the teams competing hard against each other. The teams like Afghanistan and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/hong-kongs-ehsan-khan-relives-magical-ms-dhoni-dismissal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hong Kong</strong></a> played some brilliant cricket and gave a tough fight to the top nations.

At the same time, one of the tournament favourites, Pakistan ended up disappointing the fans and Sri Lanka also had a disastrous time in the Asian battle as they were knocked out in the first round itself. Both India and Bangladesh played some consistent cricket throughout and were very impressive in the final as well. On that note, here are the hits and misses from the tournament:

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-281369" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma-and-Shikhar-Dhawan.jpg" alt="Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-281369" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. (Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rohit-sharma-in-the-relaxed-company-of-four-die-hard-asian-fans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rohit Sharma</strong></a> and Shikhar Dhawan form one of the most destructive opening pairs in world cricket. However, it&#8217;s been a while since we have seen both of them dominate the opposition in tandem. They haven&#8217;t had the best of times in England and South Africa. Before the Asia Cup, they only had one 50+ partnership in 2018.

But the duo turned things around in the tournament completely. These two together added 437 runs in 5 games which is a testimony to their consistency. They failed to cross the 50-run partnership mark only two times and the highest stand being 210 runs in the game against Pakistan which is a great sign for Indian cricket. They would love to continue in the same vein in the days to come.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-283659" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman.jpg" alt="Mujeeb Ur Rahman" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-283659" class="wp-caption-text">Mujeeb Ur Rahman.(Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

Afghanistan cricket team possesses a very good bowling line up and they have the ability to give tough time even to the best of sides on a given day. However, it was as if they rediscovered themselves in this tournament as soon as the batsmen put up a decent total on the board. The trio of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/asia-cup-2018-rashid-khan-mohammad-shahzad-console-sad-indian-kid-match/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rashid Khan</strong></a>, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi made the batsmen work hard for each and every run.

They were ever so devastating and a little bit of luck on their side could have placed the team in the final. Rashid ended with 10 wickets in five games while Mujeeb and Nabi picked up 7 and 5 wickets respectively in as many encounters. It was a delight to watch them bowl together and Nabi and Rashid&#8217;s contributions with the bat were also invaluable for the team.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-281221" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Hong-Kong-openers.jpg" alt="Hong Kong openers" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-281221" class="wp-caption-text">Hong Kong openers. (Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</figcaption>

Going into the tournament, there were zero expectations from Hong Kong. Everyone wrote them off after the encounter against Pakistan. Many believed that the game against Hong Kong would be a warm-up for India to get their campaign underway. Some also went on to state that India would demolish the qualifier side and finish the game in no time.

But Anshuman Rath and Nizakat Khan had different plans. After the terrific comeback with the ball in the latter half of India&#8217;s innings, the duo batted as if their life was dependent on this game. They added 174 runs for the opening wicket subjecting the Indians to extreme pressure. They almost pulled off a miracle but lack of experience and firepower in the middle-order cost them the game.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-282479" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sarfraz-Ahmed-4.jpg" alt="Sarfraz Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-282479" class="wp-caption-text">Sarfraz Ahmed. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Touted to have one of the best bowling lineups in the world, Pakistan went into the tournament hoping to repeat their heroics at the Champions Trophy last year. They were one of the favourites at the start and got going with a good win against Hong Kong.

But the Men in Green lost their way and kept losing crucial games one after the other. Their performances were dictated by one or two individuals which definitely can&#8217;t win you games at all times. The bowlers didn&#8217;t perform as expected and the captaincy from <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/pakistan-skipper-sarfraz-ahmed-doesnt-want-hit-panic-button-just-yet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sarfraz Ahmed</strong></a> only made things worse. Moreover, thumping losses to India only added to their agony.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-283616" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-6.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-283616" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

With Virat Kohli rested, there was a lot of talk around <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhoni-should-be-playing-domestic-cricket-sunil-gavaskar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>MS Dhoni</strong></a> much before the tournament started. There were talks about the former skipper getting a chance to bat higher up the order and expressing himself. With good rest after the England tour, Dhoni had the opportunity to shut down his critics and make a mark for himself.

But the wicket-keeper batsman disappointed everyone with his batting. In the four innings where he got to bat, he only managed to score 77 runs at an average of 19 including a duck against Hong Kong. Although he fell victim to a wrong umpiring call against Afghanistan, the veteran didn&#8217;t seem to be at complete ease even in that game raising a lot of questions about his future. In the final, MS showed some good intent but failed to capitalise on the start that he got.

<p>India emerged as the champions of Asia Cup 2018 by defeating Bangladesh in the thrilling final. The tournament enthralled the fans to the bits with all the teams competing hard against each other. The teams like Afghanistan and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/hong-kongs-ehsan-khan-relives-magical-ms-dhoni-dismissal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hong Kong</strong></a> played some brilliant cricket and gave a tough fight to the top nations.</p>
<p>At the same time, one of the tournament favourites, Pakistan ended up disappointing the fans and Sri Lanka also had a disastrous time in the Asian battle as they were knocked out in the first round itself. Both India and Bangladesh played some consistent cricket throughout and were very impressive in the final as well. On that note, here are the hits and misses from the tournament:</p>
<h3>Hits:</h3>
<h3>1. India’s opening pair</h3>
<figure id="attachment_281369" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-281369" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-281369" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma-and-Shikhar-Dhawan.jpg" alt="Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-281369" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. (Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rohit-sharma-in-the-relaxed-company-of-four-die-hard-asian-fans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rohit Sharma</strong></a> and Shikhar Dhawan form one of the most destructive opening pairs in world cricket. However, it’s been a while since we have seen both of them dominate the opposition in tandem. They haven’t had the best of times in England and South Africa. Before the Asia Cup, they only had one 50+ partnership in 2018.</p>
<p>But the duo turned things around in the tournament completely. These two together added 437 runs in 5 games which is a testimony to their consistency. They failed to cross the 50-run partnership mark only two times and the highest stand being 210 runs in the game against Pakistan which is a great sign for Indian cricket. They would love to continue in the same vein in the days to come.</p>
<h3>2. The Afghan spin trio</h3>
<figure id="attachment_283659" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-283659" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-283659" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman.jpg" alt="Mujeeb Ur Rahman" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-283659" class="wp-caption-text">Mujeeb Ur Rahman.(Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Afghanistan cricket team possesses a very good bowling line up and they have the ability to give tough time even to the best of sides on a given day. However, it was as if they rediscovered themselves in this tournament as soon as the batsmen put up a decent total on the board. The trio of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/asia-cup-2018-rashid-khan-mohammad-shahzad-console-sad-indian-kid-match/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rashid Khan</strong></a>, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi made the batsmen work hard for each and every run.</p>
<p>They were ever so devastating and a little bit of luck on their side could have placed the team in the final. Rashid ended with 10 wickets in five games while Mujeeb and Nabi picked up 7 and 5 wickets respectively in as many encounters. It was a delight to watch them bowl&nbsp;together and Nabi and Rashid’s contributions with the bat were also invaluable for the team.</p>
<h3>3. Hong Kong almost pulling off an upset</h3>
<figure id="attachment_281221" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-281221" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-281221" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Hong-Kong-openers.jpg" alt="Hong Kong openers" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-281221" class="wp-caption-text">Hong Kong openers. (Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Going into the tournament, there were zero expectations from Hong Kong. Everyone wrote them off after the encounter against Pakistan. Many believed that the game against Hong Kong would be a warm-up for India to get their campaign underway. Some also went on to state that India would demolish the qualifier side and finish the game in no time.</p>
<p>But Anshuman Rath and Nizakat Khan had different plans. After the terrific comeback with the ball in the latter half of India’s innings, the duo batted as if their life was dependent on this game. They added 174 runs for the opening wicket subjecting the Indians to extreme pressure. They almost pulled off a miracle but lack of experience and firepower in the middle-order cost them the game.</p>
<h3>Misses:</h3>
<h3>1. Pakistan’s performance</h3>
<figure id="attachment_282479" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-282479" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-282479" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sarfraz-Ahmed-4.jpg" alt="Sarfraz Ahmed" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-282479" class="wp-caption-text">Sarfraz Ahmed. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Touted to have one of the best bowling lineups in the world, Pakistan went into the tournament hoping to repeat their heroics at the Champions Trophy last year. They were one of the favourites at the start and got going with a good win against Hong Kong.</p>
<p>But the Men in Green lost their way and kept losing crucial games one after the other. Their performances were dictated by one or two individuals which definitely can’t win you games at all times. The bowlers didn’t perform&nbsp;as expected and the captaincy from <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/pakistan-skipper-sarfraz-ahmed-doesnt-want-hit-panic-button-just-yet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sarfraz Ahmed</strong></a> only made things worse. Moreover, thumping losses to India only added to their agony.</p>
<h3>2. MS Dhoni’s poor show</h3>
<figure id="attachment_283616" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-283616" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-283616" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-6.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-283616" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>With Virat Kohli rested, there was a lot of talk around <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhoni-should-be-playing-domestic-cricket-sunil-gavaskar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>MS Dhoni</strong></a> much before the tournament started. There were talks about the former skipper getting a chance to bat higher up the order and expressing himself. With good rest after the England tour, Dhoni had the opportunity to shut down his critics and make a mark for himself.</p>
<p>But the wicket-keeper batsman disappointed everyone with his batting. In the four innings where he got to bat, he only managed to score 77 runs at an average of 19 including a duck against Hong Kong. Although he fell victim to a wrong umpiring call against Afghanistan, the veteran didn’t seem to be at complete ease even in that game raising a lot of questions about his future. In the final, MS showed some good intent but failed to capitalise on the start that he got.</p>

<p>India emerged as the champions of Asia Cup 2018 by defeating Bangladesh in the thrilling final. The tournament enthralled the fans to the bits with all the teams competing hard against each other. The teams like Afghanistan and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/hong-kongs-ehsan-khan-relives-magical-ms-dhoni-dismissal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hong Kong</strong></a> played some brilliant cricket and gave a tough fight to the top nations.</p>
<p>At the same time, one of the tournament favourites, Pakistan ended up disappointing the fans and Sri Lanka also had a disastrous time in the Asian battle as they were knocked out in the first round itself. Both India and Bangladesh played some consistent cricket throughout and were very impressive in the final as well. On that note, here are the hits and misses from the tournament:</p>
<h3>Hits:</h3>
<h3>1. India&#8217;s opening pair</h3>
<figure id="attachment_281369" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-281369" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-281369" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma-and-Shikhar-Dhawan.jpg" alt="Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-281369" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. (Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rohit-sharma-in-the-relaxed-company-of-four-die-hard-asian-fans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rohit Sharma</strong></a> and Shikhar Dhawan form one of the most destructive opening pairs in world cricket. However, it&#8217;s been a while since we have seen both of them dominate the opposition in tandem. They haven&#8217;t had the best of times in England and South Africa. Before the Asia Cup, they only had one 50+ partnership in 2018.</p>
<p>But the duo turned things around in the tournament completely. These two together added 437 runs in 5 games which is a testimony to their consistency. They failed to cross the 50-run partnership mark only two times and the highest stand being 210 runs in the game against Pakistan which is a great sign for Indian cricket. They would love to continue in the same vein in the days to come.</p>
<h3>2. The Afghan spin trio</h3>
<figure id="attachment_283659" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-283659" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-283659" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman.jpg" alt="Mujeeb Ur Rahman" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-283659" class="wp-caption-text">Mujeeb Ur Rahman.(Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Afghanistan cricket team possesses a very good bowling line up and they have the ability to give tough time even to the best of sides on a given day. However, it was as if they rediscovered themselves in this tournament as soon as the batsmen put up a decent total on the board. The trio of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/asia-cup-2018-rashid-khan-mohammad-shahzad-console-sad-indian-kid-match/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rashid Khan</strong></a>, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi made the batsmen work hard for each and every run.</p>
<p>They were ever so devastating and a little bit of luck on their side could have placed the team in the final. Rashid ended with 10 wickets in five games while Mujeeb and Nabi picked up 7 and 5 wickets respectively in as many encounters. It was a delight to watch them bowl together and Nabi and Rashid&#8217;s contributions with the bat were also invaluable for the team.</p>
<h3>3. Hong Kong almost pulling off an upset</h3>
<figure id="attachment_281221" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-281221" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-281221" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Hong-Kong-openers.jpg" alt="Hong Kong openers" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-281221" class="wp-caption-text">Hong Kong openers. (Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Going into the tournament, there were zero expectations from Hong Kong. Everyone wrote them off after the encounter against Pakistan. Many believed that the game against Hong Kong would be a warm-up for India to get their campaign underway. Some also went on to state that India would demolish the qualifier side and finish the game in no time.</p>
<p>But Anshuman Rath and Nizakat Khan had different plans. After the terrific comeback with the ball in the latter half of India&#8217;s innings, the duo batted as if their life was dependent on this game. They added 174 runs for the opening wicket subjecting the Indians to extreme pressure. They almost pulled off a miracle but lack of experience and firepower in the middle-order cost them the game.</p>
<h3>Misses:</h3>
<h3>1. Pakistan&#8217;s performance</h3>
<figure id="attachment_282479" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-282479" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-282479" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sarfraz-Ahmed-4.jpg" alt="Sarfraz Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-282479" class="wp-caption-text">Sarfraz Ahmed. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Touted to have one of the best bowling lineups in the world, Pakistan went into the tournament hoping to repeat their heroics at the Champions Trophy last year. They were one of the favourites at the start and got going with a good win against Hong Kong.</p>
<p>But the Men in Green lost their way and kept losing crucial games one after the other. Their performances were dictated by one or two individuals which definitely can&#8217;t win you games at all times. The bowlers didn&#8217;t perform as expected and the captaincy from <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/pakistan-skipper-sarfraz-ahmed-doesnt-want-hit-panic-button-just-yet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sarfraz Ahmed</strong></a> only made things worse. Moreover, thumping losses to India only added to their agony.</p>
<h3>2. MS Dhoni&#8217;s poor show</h3>
<figure id="attachment_283616" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-283616" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-283616" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-6.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-283616" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>With Virat Kohli rested, there was a lot of talk around <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhoni-should-be-playing-domestic-cricket-sunil-gavaskar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>MS Dhoni</strong></a> much before the tournament started. There were talks about the former skipper getting a chance to bat higher up the order and expressing himself. With good rest after the England tour, Dhoni had the opportunity to shut down his critics and make a mark for himself.</p>
<p>But the wicket-keeper batsman disappointed everyone with his batting. In the four innings where he got to bat, he only managed to score 77 runs at an average of 19 including a duck against Hong Kong. Although he fell victim to a wrong umpiring call against Afghanistan, the veteran didn&#8217;t seem to be at complete ease even in that game raising a lot of questions about his future. In the final, MS showed some good intent but failed to capitalise on the start that he got.</p>

The new format of the Asia Cup enthralled the fans as the game right down the wire.

Asia Cup 2018: Hits and Misses from the tournament

Here are the hits and misses from the 14th edition of the Asia Cup.